Dying to Live
by bgreenwivy
Summary: This is the sequel to Live to Die. Murata can't get over what happened to Yuuri. Back on Earth Murata is struggling to figure it out, Yuuri's rapist, and his own life. Shori is sent to watch over Murata and help but will it be too late for them both?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kyo Kara Maou.**

**This is for rowen raven who asked for a story with Murata and for Colette who was uneasy about the ending for Live to Die. Take the two reviews, shake and here is the sequel. Enjoy!**

**Dying to Live**

Murata had been on a mission for the last few months. The mission was simple really. While Yuuri's rape had not stopped him from moving on, it had effectively put Murata's life on hold. Murata became obsessed with finding Yuuri's rapist. Every thing in Murata's world had died away in pursuit of this defiler of Yuuri's body. Murata's cerebral outlook was in complete disarray at how Yuuri could move on.

Yuuri's wedding to Wolfram had not distracted Murata from his goal at all. He had gone as far as to ask Yuuri for the rapist's name but with horrible results. Murata's pride had taken a considerable beating after that misadventure. Murata's hair had not curled the same since Wolfram burned it. This had put Murata into a bit of quandary. He knew he would not be able to continue on his existence without closure and giving up was not his style.

This is how Murata Ken found himself following Yuuri's footsteps. Murata transferred to Yuuri's school and took the same classes. Murata even joined the exact same curricular activities. Even though Murata was embarrassed to admit that he did not have the talent to be on the baseball team, he was fully capable of being their manager/lackey. The coach had drolly told him that students did not make the team just because of their looks but their abilities. His abilities put him firmly on the managerial side of the sport.

Murata felt comfortable with the coach instantly and liked the brusque and calm way he handled things. Murata felt that the coach provided a certain level of ease to all his troubles. Murata and most of the players felt the coach was their best friend and a father figure of sorts. Murata felt more than a little admiration for the logical approach the coach demonstrated and often stayed after to help the coach with strategy.

Murata found himself spending more and more time in the coach's company. Now that Yuuri did not need to return to earth anymore, Murata had no one to interact with on many levels. Learning all he could about the sport of baseball appealed to his love of knowledge. Even though he was loathing admitting it, he was developing a small crush. Trying to become as indispensable to the coach as possible, gave him a purpose. If he went back to Shin Makoku, he would have a purpose but having to see Yuuri and remember his failure just hurt him. Murata was dying to live again and feel.

So on Earth Murata stayed; unaware that Yuuri was becoming more uneasy with Murata's seemingly innocuous presence on earth. After a conversation with Franc, Yuuri was sure that he had a slight understanding of how Murata was feeling but did not understand the feelings behind it. The only thing Yuuri truly cared about was that Murata was safe. As long as he stayed away from baseball, he would be fine. Yuuri had laughed at the thought of Murata attempting to play baseball or taking an interest. This however did not stop Yuuri from going to the trouble of contacting the Maou King on Earth, Bob, to ask him to keep an eye on Murata.

Shori got the assignment from Bob and would rather have pulled out his fingernails than watch Murata, but like the good heir apparent, he did it. Shori rolled his eyes as he watched Murata run around with a water bottle on the baseball field. It was obvious to him that Murata was trying to get the coach's attention. Shori had played that game when he had been younger and found that it only served to amuse the other party. Shori took note of the coach's appearance frowning at a spot on the coach's skin that looked out of place before his attention was drawn away.

"It's bad enough he is wearing those tight baseball pants." Shori mumbled as he sat behind the wheel of his car and observed the practice. "I did not just think he looked good." Shori slapped himself as Murata bent over to pick up something. "Okay I am not the only one staring."

Half of the baseball team was watching their manager run around picking up stray balls. The team was supposed to be in a huddle but in fact, most players positioned themselves to keep an eye on the much smaller boy's figure as he moved. Breathless, Murata finally finished his task and approached the huddle. The team yelled, hollered, and cheered finally ending with a group high five. The players happily dispersed from the field leaving the coach and Murata to finish clearing the field. Shori slid down in his seat and hated his job. Who knew a future Maou would have to learn how to follow people.

Murata was genuinely happy. Vaguely Murata remembered having felt happy at the beginning of his journey with Yuri to become an able leader. The Great Sage was a heavy burden that Murata carried in Shin Makaku. To the baseball team he was not the Great Sage, he was merely Murata Ken, the favored massager and water boy. Finishing the baseball field clean up he helped the coach lock away the equipment in its shed.

"Murata are you still going to come over to my house tomorrow and help me clean up for the boys coming over?" Coach Hisao inquired.

"Sure thing coach." Murata responded blushing as the coach laid a hand on his lower back in a friendly matter.

"I can even show you those exercises that will tighten you up some." Hisao continued giving Murata a pat on the backside before he continued on to the locker room.

Murata left behind flustered and slightly indecisive thought. "Technically, I am helping him clean so should I wear something provocative like I want something to happen or play coy by wearing something regular." Murata mused before yanking on his hair. "It's so hard being the pursuer." Marching into the locker room, he failed to notice Shori's presence now leaning against one of the gates. Shori was fuming.

"That guy is old enough to be his father." Shori scoffed kicking the gravel. "I bet Hisao isn't even his real name." Shori refused to examine his feelings of agitation over Murata, who never said his name but instead called him Yuuri's brother.

Shori stopped his kicking when a thought struck him. He had noticed the coach's skin seemed a little different. More the way a demon's skin would look than a human skin. Shori went back to his car and pulled out his computer. Quickly linking to Bob's database, he went looking for Hisao. Finding no matches for that name, he started to scan pictures of all the demons living on Earth and knew that he was in for a long night.

**For future references, Hisao means long-lived man. You will get the reference shortly if you were paying attention in the first story. That is the only hint you are getting from me. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kyo Kara Maou. **

**I now have a poll up to determine Murata's fate. It will be up for about two weeks while I do the other chapters. It is located on my profile. **

Gwendal stood in his office overlooking the gardens rubbing his pregnant belly. Seven months along and he was poking out so much he swore he was having twins. Giselle had promptly informed that no, he was not having twins but he was having a very large baby. Gwendal had frowned at her as he left but walking back to his office, he could barely contain a smile. He was having a baby.

Ever since he had been a little boy, he had enjoyed children. Unfortunately, he had never had the chance to be around them much because of his family situation. Gwendal had been a teen of barely sixty when his chance of siring children became none existent.

Baseball was a foreign concept to most of the kingdom but sword fighting was not. His instructor was a man three times his age. The long black hair, amber eyes and muscular build had been the first thing to capture Gwendal's attention. The way his instructor had seemed to assert this authority without even trying, calm but with a certain level of bluntness that was seldom misunderstood. The dry humor his instructor projected was legendary among his students, sometimes he told them to call him Kohaku, amber, because of his eyes. Other times he would tell them to call him Kuro, black, because of his hair. He used many different names and no one was sure which was real.

Regardless of what name he went by, the instructor was like the father Gwendal had never had. Gwendal had trained relentlessly to become a great fighter. He would train until he had nothing left and his instructor would have to help him back to his rooms.

Gwendal looked up to and adored his instructor to the point of obsession. Gwendal wanted to do everything he saw his instructor do. One night Gwendal had followed his instructor to a place where he knew he did not belong. Gwendal had not cared who saw him but he should have, Wolfram had decided that he would practice his stealth.

Gwendal had watched his instructor brutalize a whore. The whore was begging for mercy but his instructor just continued. Gwendal felt sick watching and his feelings for his instructor turned. He tried to sneak away quietly but he made enough noise to betray his location. Gwendal almost escaped when he spotted Wolfram, lying asleep not to far where his instructor had been. Gwendal quickly ran to his brother to try to get him away. His instructor caught him before he had the chance.

Gwendal remembered the smell of the alcohol and rancid trash as his instructor grabbed him. Gwendal recalled struggling valiantly to overcome his instructor. Being hit over the head and bent over a barrel, Gwendal still struggled. Wolfram woke up and stared into the eyes of his brother. It was good fortune that Wolfram did not scream. Gwendal mouthed for him to stay silent, for the first time Wolfram listened and cried silently.

After what had seemed like a long time, the instructor finished and left Gwendal in the alley. Wolfram had managed to get them home. He could not seem to make himself stop crying and Gwendal was in no condition to comfort him. Instead, Gwendal swore Wolfram to secrecy. Wolfram had agreed to keep it secret but got the instructor dismissed. Gwendal had the instructor exiled for his crimes. Many were against the exile but the instructor went quietly and the commotion surrounding it died down. Gwendal never saw the man again.

"Gwendal, why are you crying?" Gunter asked wrapping his arms around him and rubbing his stomach. Resting his chin on Gwendal's shoulder he nuzzled his neck.

"Just thinking." Gwendal murmured blandly not even aware that tears were still falling.

"Don't be sad, we can have a small wedding. Who needs all the pomp and circumstance when we are starting our family?" Gunter soothed mentally crossing off hundreds of people from the guest lists and getting the guest list down to a hundred of their closet friends and family.

"Good." Gwendal agreed pleased that something good had come out of his reliving his past. Something that would help him push more firmly forward.

"Now no more tears." Gunter exclaimed kissing them gently away. Gwendal merely grunted and shook his head at how the world worked. Even now as he stood in a place where his instructor could not reach him, he still felt his influence.

"Hey Gwendal I have a question." Yuuri entered the room followed closely by a red-faced Wolfram. "Who else taught Wolfram to fight? He says it was just you and Conrad but Cecilie started to say someone else and he set her hair on fire."

Gwendal swayed slightly, paling and reaching for the windowsill. He found Gunter's hand instead. Wolfram's gaze met Gwendal's and they both looked away quickly. Yuuri observed this silently and raised an eyebrow at Gunter who shook his head.

"So how are wedding plans?" Yuuri asked tactfully changing the subject.

"We are lowering the guest list to a hundred or so." Gunter responded leading Gwendal to a chair. Pressing Gwendal into the chair he went around the desk and grabbed Yuuri's arm. "Now you can get an important lesson in diplomacy from this, how to pick guests without excluding the ones that would cause trouble." Gunter said as he dragged the struggling Yuuri away. When the door had closed Wolfram collapsed in the chair in front of Gwendal's desk.

"One of these days you are going to have to tell Gunter about being raped. You already told Conrad and even Murata." Wolfram spoke from his slouched position in front of the desk.

"Maybe before we marry, maybe never, I don't know." Gwendal rubbed his belly as he thought.

"I can't wait until I am pregnant." Wolfram moaned enviously noticing Gwendal's habit.

"Yuuri spoils you an abysmal amount already." Gwendal deadpanned just to draw his brother out of his mood.

"Yes he does and I like it." Wolfram smiled and shared a rare moment of companionable silence with his older brother.

Outside the door Gunter and Yuuri stood. Neither spoke but they both began to walk down the hallway. The air thickened around them as they walked. The maids who saw them ran to get out of their way. Yozak who was happily whistling down the hallway saw them and dived behind a pillar. Quietly he began to shadow the pair as they made their way down into the dungeons.

Gunter solicitously opened one of the doors for Yuuri before following him in. Yozak moved to get closer but a shockwave of magical energy knocked him on his ass. Yozak quickly stood and ran for it. Spying on Gunter and Yuuri any longer probably would not be good for his health.

Shori blinked at the record in front of him and then blinked again. There was the man Hisao but the only thing recognizable was his amber eyes. Everything else was completely different. Instead of a buzz cut, his hair was long and silky. His skin in the records was pale and delicate but now it was a golden tan.

"Shori what are you doing?" Bob growled stalking toward his apprentice in a threatening manner.

"What you told me to do. Protect the Sage." Shori retorted yawning.

"What are you doing looking at that file?" Bob asked quietly, his eyes taking in the picture while his mind went through all the information he had filed away in his head. "You shouldn't have access to that file."

"So there is something strange about this guy?" Shori came to attention looking at Bob inquiringly.

"He was never formally accused of anything." Bob shrugged crossing his arms.

"Rumors, scandals…" Shori led hoping he would get more information.

"Technically he asked for political asylum here." Bob paused briefly. "One source says he fled the other realm because of a power struggle between his family and another. Another source says it has something to do with the von Voltaires."

"Gwendal?" Shori cocked his head.

"If you could get an answer out of him about it you would be the first." Bob confirmed. Shori scratched his chin lightly his brain trying to focus but lack of sleep was getting to him at last.

"In the morning I will write up the report to Yuuri and maybe he will be able to get the information." Shori sighed wearily. "It should be interesting because it was his former coach. You would think that one of us would have noticed."

"Sometimes degrees of separation are a lot closer than you think." Bob stated evenly his eyes narrowed behind his shades.

"Is there something I don't know?" Shori's gaze sharpened on Bob.

"The last time Yuuri was here he was…" Bob paused searching for a word that would lessen the blow but gave up. "Raped."

Shori blinked, opened his mouth, closed it and quietly stood. "Shori." Bob called in warning.

"Bob this is not the time to try and calm me down." Shori commented ruthlessly. "This is the time for you to shut up and let me deal, otherwise Bob I will ask questions that I know you don't have the answer to. Oh and Bob remember you can't kick my ass nearly as well as you use to. If you don't know the answer to something it would be really hard to get me not to kill you."

Bob wisely realized that his heir apparent was coming into his own. Bob also realized that it might be necessary for him to put up an extra guard around his rooms. "Shori, where are you going?" Bob called reasonably.

"Murata is going to that coach's house and probably has no idea what that bastard is going to try. For all we know the coach got a hold of Yuuri as well." Shori fumed as he left the room. Bob contemplated his prodigy's statement and his eyes narrowed. He quickly went around what he knew and realized that certain things lined up a little too well.

"Shori's observations may be valid." Bob murmured going to get in contact with his contemporary.

**I currently am getting a hostile look from my beta wow and a death threat over what could happen in the next chapter. She knows where this is going or she thinks she does. Strap on your seatbelts folks cause after this chapter things get interesting. I am contemplating the wisdom of giving you all a choice in what happens by poll. I don't generally get much response when I do polls but who knows. This one is on my profile so go to it and I will close it on the 19th.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kyo Kara Maoh. **

**Alright this is short because of transitioning and the fact that no one has taken the poll on my profile to give me a sense of where I should take this next. Honestly, I have no real idea of where I want this to go especially since it has soooo many places it can go. **

Yuuri sat up in the bed, sweat pouring and breathing heavily. Wolfram flailed around but remained deep asleep. Yuuri felt the blood rushing in his ears as he stood and walked to the window. Looking out he could not see the moon. The night was black as pitch and Yuuri was uneasy. His heart hammered and beat an odd rhythm. Then his brain centered on one thing.

"Murata." Yuuri whispered as he threw on black sweat pants and a black wife beater. Grabbing a sweatshirt, Yuuri ran to the fountain. It began to swirl, turning around Yuuri spotted Gunter sitting on a bench in the shadows. "Protect them Gunter."

"As you wish, Heika." Gunter replied formally. Yuuri nodded, stepped into the water and fell.

Gunter watched his king disappear and continued his night sky watching. There was nothing to see but Gunter still looked anyway. When he felt a familiar presence, he did not bother to speak.

"Why are you sitting out in the dark?" Gwendal asked leaning against a pillar behind him. Gunter chose not to answer. "Gunter is there something wrong?"

"If we are to be married don't you think that any major secrets we have should be exposed so there are no surprises." Gunter commented to the starless sky.

"Your mood is as dark as the clouds tonight." Gwendal responded walking over to the bench where Gunter sat. Sitting down heavily Gwendal was surprised when Gunter stood up.

"Gwendal think very carefully before you respond to the question I am going to ask you." Gunter took a deep calming breath. "Before we are married is there anything you have to tell me?"

"Is there something you want to tell me?" Gwendal retorted stoically his mouth drawing down more.

"Gwendal you know about my failures, my success, and my entire life story." Gunter spoke falling to his knees beside the bench where Gwendal sat, his frown deepening. "Gwendal, please if there is something you haven't told me that is important I want you to tell me now."

"What do you want me to say?" Gwendal responded testily rubbing his stomach as the child shifted. "You speak as though you know something but you won't accuse me of not telling you by omission or otherwise."

"Why are you avoiding the question?" Gunter's eyes flashed dangerously.

"Why are you pressuring me to answer?" Gwendal shouted drawing the attention of the guards and the few people running about, one of which was Franc. "Wait I know why…" Gwendal stood pacing away from the kneeling Gunter. "You already know the answer to that question. Isn't that the first lesson your family taught you."

"This isn't about me or what my family taught me." Gunter spoke coldly as he smoothly stood. "It is about you and we together are…do you want us to be a family?" Gwendal was silent. "You know what I have tried Gwendal. You have this wall surrounding you and I manage to take down portions of it for moments at a time without you rebuilding but the minute I leave the walls are back. I need a door Gwendal I can't keep going through solid brick." Gunter rubbed his eyes before walking away.

"Where are you going?" Gwendal demanded his eyes flashing dangerously.

"For the moment I think it is better that we don't speak." Gunter retorted.

"No you don't get to decide that." Gwendal protested his jaw clenching a flutter going through his stomach. "You can't just play the family card or we are going to be happy forever after we are married it isn't like that."

"I don't care what you have to say right now, Gwendal I am tired. Keep your walls but when you think you can make a door to let me in occasionally let me know." Gunter walked away from his pregnant fiancé and felt as though his heart was breaking. Behind him for the first time in a long time the brick wall fell but it was not from a battering ram, it was from tears.

* * *

"Coach I thought you said the team was coming over." Murata protested as Hisao ran a hand up his leg. Murata and Hisao had been chatting and flirting for well over two hours. The atmosphere just kept getting heavier with sexual tension.

"The game was cancelled." Hisao shrugged continuing to feel up the slightly embarrassed sage. "Besides you were coming to help me clean. Exactly how do you plan on cleaning when your pants are so tight you could barely walk in them, let alone bend?"

"I bend very well thank you." Murata pouted enjoying the word play between him Hisao. "Not that I want you to know about that or anything." Murata blushed unsure of himself. A familiar pulse of energy made itself known in Murata's head and he frowned not sure who it was.

"Now don't frown so, I like you anyway you chose to bend for me." Hisao replied smoothing a hand down Murata's backside.

"I just remembered I have something to do." Murata commented and mentally swore recognizing the energy.

"Well my door is always open." Hisao sighed flopping back into his chair and eyeing Murata longingly.

"I will see you later." Murata smiled, winking as he walked out of Hisao's house. Running around to the neighbor's backyard, Murata approached the pool, reached out and helped Yuri out.

"Murata are you okay?" Yuuri asked eyeing his friend.

"Fine why do you ask?" Murata inquired stepping back from Yuuri.

"Murata is there something you aren't telling me." Yuuri's eyes narrowed taking in Murata's skintight t-shirt and even tighter jeans. Murata began to lead him back to the street declining from answering.

"Yuuri welcome back." Shori called walking out of the shadows in a black leather bomber jacket and dark wash jeans.

"What are you doing here?" Yuuri asked greeting his brother with a raised eyebrow.

"I was in the neighborhood." Shori responded his tone tight. "You and I have some things to discuss, little brother."

"Yuuri's brother I don't think this is the time for a serious talk." Murata spoke up for the first time.

"Stuff it Sage." Shori snapped hostilely. "My car is this way." Shori turned in made his way back to his car, leaving the stunned boys to catch up.

"What is eating him?" Yuuri asked Murata who had not processed the fact that spastic and exuberant Shori had just snapped at him in such a hostile way. Yuuri shrugged at the speechless sage and followed his brother. Yuuri guessed that Bob had assigned him to watch Murata. Yuuri was curious for an explanation of why he felt that Murata was in danger but by all appearances, nothing was wrong. Yuuri began to whistle as he walked and shivered lightly as a cool breeze hit his drenched form.

Hisao watched Yuuri through his red curtained window. Hisao smiled at Yuuri's confident stride and then their eyes rested on Murata. "What a fun conquest this will be." Hisao thought feeling the faint stiffening of his loins at the thought of what he could do to Murata. "I raped a king and a general. Soon I will get a sage. Maybe I will keep him around for a while. He could be entertaining." Hisao's thoughts drifted back and forth for a while but he could not quite figure out what to do with Murata.

Hisao let his eyes travel beyond the two boys to the man standing in the shadows, the streetlamp's light glaring off his glasses. Hisao inhaled sharply and felt his skin begin to prickle. Hisao knew danger when he saw it and something about the man standing in the shadows made him feel as though someone was walking over his grave. When the man looked up seeming to stare through the curtains into his soul, Hisao decided now would be a good time to go to bed. His bed was safer than his window.

Shori watched as the shadow moved away from the window. He continued walking listening to Yuuri whistle a tune as if he had not a care in the world. _"How can he just go on like nothings happened"_ Shori mentally shrieked his head spinning around with all the different scenarios. He had to concentrate hard not to snap at either of the two boys as they joined him in the car.

Turning on the engine, he briefly met eyes with Murata in the rearview mirror. Murata raised his eyebrow challengingly and Shori narrowed his eyes. It was always a battle of wills between him and Murata. This time Murata would not stand a chance. Shori pealed out of the parking lot and Murata swore as he was thrown around in the backseat before he put his seatbelt on. Shori took some satisfaction from that at least.

**Review please…Also don't forget the poll it is on my profile. For those who are curious, my beta is threatening to quit, she is a die hard Gwendal and Gunter fan. The thought of them breaking up doesn't sit well apparently...I don't know how I feel about it yet anyway. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kyo Kara Maou.**

**Don't forget to take the poll on my profile! Enjoy! Oh and a special thank you to my new beta 2stupid!**

"Why did you feel you couldn't tell me this?" Shori raged, his eyes flashing dangerously at his little brother. He and Yuuri were seated in the study of his house.

"_Why would he tell you something important_?" Murata mentally responded drolly. He was standing outside the closed door of the room while Yuuri and Shori talked.

"I didn't even tell Murata," Yuuri responded, running his hands through his hair before he sat in a wooden chair. Resting his elbows on his knees, he watched his brother pace in front of him like a caged panther.

"It is bad enough I failed to protect you. Did you at least catch who did it?" Shori sighed, some of his anger evaporating when he realized he was more upset with himself than with Yuuri.

"It's a private matter." Yuuri's head swung up as he became defensive.

"Yuuri, we are family; nothing's private," Shori sighed, shaking his head. "I will respect your wishes if you refuse to tell me, but I will find out who did it." Shori's expression of certainty put a tight scowl on Yuuri's face.

"And if I order you not to dig into it?" Yuuri stood facing his brother, shoulders squared.

"I won't dig then- I'll merely follow your old schedule until I figure out the likely places it could have occurred." Stroking his chin in thought, Shori began to walk around the room again. Yuuri stood staring straight ahead.

"_Following his schedule isn't going to work,"_ Murata mentally scoffed as he continued to listen in to the conversation on the other side of the door. "_I've already tried that and nothing good came of it- well, nothing except Hisao._"

"I don't believe your assignment from Bob involved digging into my affairs," Yuuri rallied, his eyes flaring dangerously. "If you have nothing to report on the assignment you were supposed to be doing, then I have nothing to say to you."

"The other assignment doesn't matter to me as much as…you are my flesh and blood!" Shori temporarily reverted back to his earlier attitude. "Besides that fact, you are on Earth and are now my top priority."

"No, your priority is still the assignment I gave you. By your own admission, you failed me once." Yuuri walked towards the door, tossing over his shoulder one last line as he went. "Don't fail me again, Shori. I doubt your psyche could take it." Yuuri felt guilt lying heavily on his shoulders as he left his brother to his own devices.

Murata had just enough time to slide into the shadows when Yuuri walked out. He decided to get information out of Shori; it would be entirely too easy for him to find out what Yuuri had assigned Shori to do.

"Yuuri's older brother, that didn't look like it went so well." Murata commented glibly, his eyes following Shori's careful movements. "You might want to try a different approach next time."

"You know what, you're just jealous because no one gives a damn about you." Shori replied evenly and with more calm than Murata thought he had, looking out of his study's window.

"Yes, that is exactly why everyone wants to talk to me," Murata retorted, crossing his arms across his chest before he even realized he was on the defensive.

"Yes- talk to you, but nothing else," Shori scoffed, looking at Murata for the first time. "You're just one big joke. How did you even get the name "Great Sage"? You make wisecracks and act holier than thou, but what are you doing here if you're so in high demand in Shin Makoku?"

"That is none of your business," Murata responded.

Struck by a sudden thought, Shori turned from the window to face Murata fully, his eyebrow raised. "Yuuri's rape is killing you isn't it? You couldn't protect him, either."

"Don't you dare put me in the same category as you!" Murata retorted, his teeth clenched.

"No?" Shori stood and walked toe to toe with Murata. "Well, I think you're here to try to catch Yuuri's rapist. I think being in Shin Makoku just reminds you of your failures and what you don't have. Yuuri has Wolfram, Gunter has Gwendal and Conrad will eventually have Yozak, while you have no one. Now tell me I'm wrong."

"What is the point? Yuuri's older brother, you wouldn't understand," Murata shook his head.

"What I do understand is that you are alone now. No insecure Yuuri to guide because he is coming into his own. It must really anger you to no end that you have become unnecessary. Oh, wait isn't that how you end up in every life you lead, unhappy and unnecessary."

"I don't have to listen to this," Murata retreated both verbally and physically, his heart beating erratically since Shori had seen right through him and his words had struck deeply. Shori watched him go. He should have felt satisfied getting the better of Murata, but all he felt was hollow.

"I could make you happy Murata," Shori whispered quietly, "if you would just see me as someone besides Yuuri's brother."

He went to his computer and pulled up the file on Hisao. Leaning back in his chair, he closed his eyes as he considered the information at hand. His fingers flew over the keys as he allowed his thoughts and the information he possessed in his head to filter down into his fingers. When he was done, Shori opened his eyes and swore at the one word written in bold:

"**RAPIST**."

Murata walked away from Shori's house at an almost gallop. His thoughts whirling, he let his feet set a course for him; he was locked inside his head, reliving what he could remember of previous lives, reliving the times he had found someone, only for it to not last, or the times he had died because he was loyal to his beliefs.

When Murata's soul had disappeared for some generations, it was not because it had not lived more lives; it was because it needed to heal. Life after life of abuse, torture, despair and self-hatred had been eating away at the integrity of his soul. He was aloof because he could not allow himself to be close; Yuuri had been the only one in a long time to be close to him. If Yuuri hurt, Murata hurt more because he should have been there for Yuuri. But Murata had forgotten the reason he was so aloof and distant; he cared too much and hurt too easily.

"_Why am I always the fucking martyr?" _Murata internally screamed as he broke into a run, his feet pounding the pavement in an attempt to outrun himself. He stopped running when he realized where he had run; Hisao's bedroom light was still on. As rain started to fall, Murata realized he had a choice; his body had chosen Hisao, but what about his heart? Ulrike had looked at him with great sadness the first time she had sat eyes on him; her words had cut through him, but he had laughed away her predictions.

"_Find the ones who see you, Great Sage. You are never in the shadows with them, but realize that not all who see you are after your heart. There will be one who has been reborn several times as well who will break you, but the one who will stay with you and teach you love is the one who touches you will kindness and loves you intensely." Ulrike's eyes held a strange glow while she spoke. "You will not heed my words now, but in time you will see."_

"The only thing I see is rain and a house," Murata mumbled, standing up straight, letting said rain pelt his body and obscure his vision. "What do I do now?"

Yuuri hid across the street, watching Murata and wrestling with his need to find out what was going on and comfort his friend. He was panting slightly from his chase. "_Who lives there that Murata would want to see?_" Yuuri looked around and noticed that it was close to the location where he had arrived. His eyes focused back on Murata as he waited. Yuuri knew in his heart that Murata was breaking, but who was the person he was turning to?

**The poll is on my profile…it is important for those of you who want to have an influence on where this story goes to take it. For those that don't know how. Click on my name at the top of the page, then at the very top of my profile is the poll link, click and vote. Well I hope you enjoyed it.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kyo Kara Maou.**

**SO the poll is closed and two of the choices were too close to call. Therefore you will see the two choices that won as the next chapters progress. I am combining them for your continued reading pleasure. Some have asked when this will turn into ShorixMurata. I ask for patience because this story is going to be a long one. By long, I mean possibly twenty chapters or so. Once again thank you to my lovely beta 2stupid.**

Gunter smacked his head lightly against his desk and groaned. "I really don't deserve him, do I?" Gunter asked the silent Franc. The sun shone through the window, casting a glare on everything in the room.

"No, you don't," Franc conceded, handing Gunter the hangover remedy.

"I just wanted a time out, Franc, not a break up," Gunter whined, downing the drink and wincing in distaste as it slid down his throat in a coagulated mess. "I just needed to time to regroup and start over. Maybe try to do my best to make him see where I was coming from. Damn it, Franc, stop looking at me as if I shot your best friend! AWWW my head."

"You shouldn't have gone out to get drunk, and in the bathhouse no less," Franc scolded before a thought struck him. "Gunter, did you ever tell Gwendal about…"

Franc left the sentence hanging. Gunter blinked at him owlishly before slamming his head down on his desk. A dark aura began to form and Franc quietly slipped through the door, running into a rounded wall. Squeaking, he looked up into Gwendal's stormy eyes. He quickly opened the door for Gwendal and bowed his way out of the room.

"I am an idiot," Gunter swore at himself for slamming his poor head against his desk and actually not thinking something through for once. "How could I have done something like that? He's pregnant and I should know better." Gunter leaned the chair back and saw Gwendal ensconced in the seat across from him, quietly observing him. Gunter stared at Gwendal for a moment before he ran around the desk, sank to his knees before him, and threw his arms around him.

Gwendal remained unmoved as Gunter burst into tears. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said those things to you. I know better and wasn't thinking. All I could think was I had to find who did that to you. I needed revenge and I never thought about anything else." He rambled on, sobbing into Gwendal's pregnant belly. Gwendal did not move.

"You will sleep in your own bed tonight and every night until we are married," Gwendal spoke once Gunter had quieted down. "We both have tragic experiences that we don't talk about but at least we have each other."

"I won't ever be such a moron again." Gunter vowed solemnly.

"You broke that promise already." Gwendal shook his head. "How about you try and I try."

"Fair enough," Gunter sighed, placing his forehead on Gwendal's rounded belly. "This not sleeping together thing may be a bit of a problem but I will try to keep my hands to myself."

"You will do no such thing," Gwendal blustered. Gunter looked up at him, his eyes sparkling.

"But you said we have to wait until the wedding," Gunter replied, blinking innocently and sitting back on his heels. "I agree; if we wait, it will be even more special." Gunter bounded to his feet in a rush, but when he tried to move found himself trapped in the floor up to his ankles.

"That isn't what I meant, and you know it," Gwendal growled before he recovered his self-control. "Besides, you still have to make last night up to me. I was horny and you were elsewhere."

"I can't move, if you hadn't noticed," Gunter pointed out, crossing his arms. Gwendal sheepishly released him and Gunter knelt. Pulling Gwendal's coat open, he raised an eyebrow and met Gwendal's eyes.

"I need to order more pants." Gwendal shrugged before he moaned; Gunter licked and sucked on one of his hipbones before laughing.

"It's very naughty for you to walk around with your pants undone under your coat." Gunter nuzzled Gwendal's arousal. "It gives me all sorts of naughty ideas on what I could do to you."

"Tease," Gwendal growled as Gunter licked him from root to tip.

"You love me," Gunter responded sucking lightly on the head.

"Unfortunately," Gwendal grumbled shifting. Gunter's door suddenly banged open and Wolfram stood in the doorway, fuming.

"Where is Yuuri!?"

"Foiled again." Gunter sighed and began closing Gwendal up.

"What do you mean 'where is Yuuri'?" Gwendal demanded, attempting to heave himself to his feet. Gunter assisted him and brushed off his pants.

"I mean I've looked everywhere and no one has seen him or knows where he is!" Wolfram yelled, looking both frantic and angry. "What if he was kidnapped or he ran away or something?"

Gunter sat behind his desk and observed the two shrewdly. "_This is _not_ going to go over well,_" he thought, picking up a document off his desk to peruse as the drama continued to unfold.

"He couldn't have been kidnapped- there would be a line of dead bodies," Gwendal reasoned.

"I bet you someone came to kidnap him and he went with them to keep anyone from being hurt," Wolfram hypothesized, his eyes widening in self-delusion.

Gwendal narrowed his eyes briefly before turning to Gunter. "Why exactly are you so calm about this?"

"Yuuri went to take care of a personal matter," Gunter replied, studying the document in his hands.

"After all that has happened, you let him go alone?" Wolfram demanded, slamming his hands down on Gunter's desk.

"You can't protect him from everything," he responded evenly. "He has to be able to do things by himself, if only to prove that nothing has changed."

"But he has changed," Gwendal responded, eyeing his fiancé shrewdly.

"You know what I mean," Gunter sighed, waving his comment off.

"Well, where is Yuuri then?" Wolfram asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Earth."

"WHAT!"

* * *

Hisao opened the door and smiled at the disheveled, disoriented boy in front of him. "Look what the rain washed in," he teased lightly. He opened the door wider and allowed Murata to enter. Murata stopped halfway in the door, wrapped his arms around Hisao, and began to sob into his chest; Hisao smirked down at the wet boy before schooling his facial features into a mask of concern.

"Poor little Murata. No one cares about you but me," Hisao was whispering into his ear when his eyes picked up a movement across the street in the shadows. Raising his hand, Hisao waved at the figure, knowing exactly who it was. Yuuri stood watching as his former coach held his sobbing friend, waved at him, then calmly closed the door.

Shaking, Yuuri could barely see clearly enough to punch the numbers into his cell phone. Hearing Shori's voice on the other end, he keeled over and hurled into the gutter. He was crying, hurling, and trying to speak, but nothing came out. Shori's demands were met with the sounds of trauma. Yuuri dropped the phone and the rain poured down harder.

He crossed the street, his body shaking with his sobs, and went to the window, trying to see Murata. He saw the red couch where Murata sat, his head in his hands, still crying. He watched Hisao press a drink into Murata's hand; Murata drank it down without even looking to see what it was. Slamming his fist on the window, he tried to get Murata's attention.

When Hisao pulled Murata's shirt off over his head Yuuri began to punch at the glass, his throat working to unleash a scream to be heard over the pounding rain. Hisao whispered something into the dazed Murata's ear. As Murata continued to undress himself Hisao turned on the radio and left the room. Yuuri tried harder to get Murata's attention but he was deaf to him now.

Yuuri's head slammed into the window forcefully, breaking his nose and smearing blood all over the reinforced glass. Hisao smiled as he pressed the boy against the wall, savoring in the familiar feeling of control. "I have him now and he will never be with you again," he whispered coldly before pressing a handkerchief around the now fighting Yuuri's face. He laughed as Yuuri struggled until finally he went limp. Removing Yuuri's clothes, he left him naked by the trashcans.

"Come on baby, we are going on a little weekend trip," he told Murata, entering his living room and smiling at the bloodied glass. Murata nodded, slipping on the clothes Hisao handed him. Together they left the house. The rain had finally stopped and Murata felt as though he was starting a new chapter in his life. Briefly, he glanced back at the house when a thought struck him.

"Shouldn't you put the trash out?" Murata asked and before Hisao could answer, he went to do it himself. He didn't see Yuuri at first, but when he did, he felt oddly detached. Things looked and felt disjointed, almost as if he was looking at things through a fish bowl. Trying to gather himself, Murata tried again to call out but his voice wouldn't work and his heart was beating too loudly. Falling to his knees, he placed his too hot forehead against Yuuri's much too cold one. Hisao stood behind the two, oddly transfixed by the sight they made.

Pulling out his camera, he took pictures of the two. Thinking quickly, he backed his car up to the alley and dumped Yuuri in the trunk. Cradling Murata like a doll, he gently placed him in the front seat.

"_Two prizes for the price of one," _he smirked, getting into his car and driving away. When he was far enough out on the highway he dumped Yuuri's clothes out the window. They fluttered in the wind before hitting the water, which swirled briefly; a pendant of blue bled into black before it disappeared into the water.

While Franc was lazily dipping his hand into the water of the fountain, he felt a tug as something entangled itself in his fingers. Pulling them out of the water, he stared at the blackened pendant as it swung back and forth on its cord. Gunter, who had been looking for Franc, saw him swinging the pendant with a look of horror on his face. Both recognized it at the same time.

"Yuuri." Gunter stared at Franc, who stared back. "Franc, take the pendant, go to Earth, and bring back his Majesty."

"I can't." Franc shook his head, as if in denial.

"You will," Gunter replied firmly. "I will follow shortly but you need to meet up with Shori first. The pendant will take you to Yuuri, but only you can help; it found you and no one else."

"When do I leave?" Franc asked, standing.

"Now," Gunter retorted, pushing Franc into the swirling fountain. "Good luck, Franc." He quickly went to work setting up alibis and plans. In an hour, he was ready. He felt slightly ill at ease about his trip to Earth and leaving Gwendal, but he pushed his thoughts away, took a deep breath, and went to find Ulrike and Shinou.

**Review and tell me what you think. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kyo Kara Maou.**

**Warning. There is some dark material ahead. For those who are wondering when I will get back to my more humorous roots...I honestly don't know. Probably when I am done with exams. About two or three chapters away. Thanks to my beta 2stupid and to my reviewers. You give me food for thought and encouragement to keep going.**

Murata woke up on a soft bed. Snuggling deeper, he struggled to remember how he got there. He looked around. The room was nice; it had oak furniture- an armoire, the bed and a few chairs were the only pieces of furniture. Right across from the bed, a large mirror took up the majority of the wall. Murata studied himself briefly, sitting up- there was something odd about the mirror.

"Look who finally decided to wake up," Hisao called, walking in and sitting on the bed. "You've been asleep for a while now. I thought you would never wake up."

"I would always wake up for you," Murata replied and smiled fuzzily. His brain tried to figure out something but just as quickly as it fluttered in his head, the thought was gone. "I feel funny."

"I know, sweetheart; it's just the drugs so you can relax and be with me. You want to be with me, don't you?" Hisao questioned softly, studying his hands.

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else," Murata enthused, wrapping his arms around the man in a fierce hug. The sheets fell and he became aware of his nakedness; blushing, he grabbed the blanket and clenched it to his chest.

"Don't be embarrassed."

"I'm not." Murata argued, frowning, letting his blanket drop; however, the blush remained.

"You are so beautiful," Hisao whispered running a finger across the pale chest. "I can't wait until we get closer."

"We aren't close now?" Murata inquired, leaning into Hisao's touch. Hisao smiled predatorily before he responded.

"When I am inside you we will be even closer," he whispered. "Would you like that?"

"Yes," Murata nodded faintly.

"Let me go get something to relax you and then…" Hisao trailed off, smiling at Murata as he left the room.

Murata started panicking. Looking in the mirror, he tried to fix his hair and figure out the angle that made him look most enticing. As he prepped and preened in front of the mirror, Yuuri sat woodenly on the other side tied to a chair and watched.

He was cut and bleeding profusely; the drugs coursing through his system made him sensitive to sounds. Everything sounded amplified. He tried to focus, knew he needed to focus, but all he could do was watch and listen. He knew what was going to happen when Hisao reentered the room.

Murata was drugged, helpless, and desperate to please; Yuuri was ill and caught in the 'what if's. "If I only had told someone..." He whispered through cracked and bleeding lips. He listened as the door to the room was opened, the sound echoing oddly in his ears. Hisao stood poised in the doorway. He looked into the mirror and smiled; setting up a camera, he turned it on before he approached the waiting, smiling Murata.

Yuuri tried to close his eyes but he could still hear them, but he also knew that if he did not watch now he would be made to watch it later; Hisao had told him as much. Therefore, he opened his eyes.

Murata felt a thrill of excitement roll through him as he obediently took the ecstasy tablet Hisao feed him. Licking the fingers that gave it to him he moaned when the same fingers pressed against his entrance. Murata tried to relax and just let happen but it hurt so bad. When he whimpered, Hisao told him to shut up.

The three fingers inside him twisted and turned. Murata felt sick, hot and disembodied. When Hisao started telling him how good he was doing and how much he was loved, Murata listened as though in a tunnel. In the mirror he saw himself bleeding as Hisao grunted over him, thrusting deeper and deeper. Through the horrendous pain, Murata would occasionally feel a glimpse of pleasure but it faded quickly.

Abruptly Hisao was through. He cuddled Murata and gently coaxed him back to arousal and eventually orgasm. Holding him Hisao dripped poisonous lies into Murata's ears, lies about love, their relationship and the future.

Subconsciously Murata did not believe him. Murata wanted to go inside himself and think, but the drugs and lethargy prevented it. Murata tried to make a note to analyze the situation but with Hisao whispering his love in his ear that was all he could think about and so the thoughts about being introspective faded away. Murata smiled sleepily even though he was uncomfortable with his drying blood and the cum residing in his body. As Murata peacefully drifted off Hisao smiled wolfishly at the mirror, left the room, leaving Murata naked on the bed asleep seemingly content.

Yuuri felt nauseous. "Does Murata really think that Hisao loves him?" His thoughts ran into each other as they flew around in his head. His heart was pounding quickly and his eyes stung; he felt like hurling but could only dry heave from his position in the chair.

"Did you enjoy the show?" Hisao asked, entering the room behind him. "I could get him to slit his own wrists if I wanted to." He placed his arms loosely around Yuuri. "He would probably ask to suck my cock after he did it. Blood and cum are my favorite life forces; mix them with tears and it's even better. It's too bad you didn't cry for me, but Gwendal did. I wonder if his little bitch of a brother would be nearly as good." Yuuri felt rage hit him through his drug haze.

"If you touch him I'll-"

"Temper, temper," Hisao chided, hitting him roughly. "I prefer those with darker hair and eyes, if you hadn't guessed. Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to go back to my little plaything. When I finish with him maybe I'll give him back so you can put the pieces back together, but somehow I think that when I'm done there won't be much left." He smiled at Yuuri before he turned to leave.

"What are you going to do with me?" Yuuri choked out, the blood in his mouth almost choking him.

"You get to be my private audience," Hisao responded, opening the door. "If I get bored I might even feel it necessary to relive our brief acquaintance."

Yuuri was once again alone when a thought penetrated his drug-induced haze. "He raped Gwendal."

* * *

Franc contemplated the benefits of wearing a wetsuit under his clothes as a precaution to water transportation. Studying his surroundings he contemplated how to find Yuuri when the pendent around his neck jerked him forward, seemingly pulled by Yuuri's essence. Franc studied the lone building in that direction.

He was out in the country. A lake stood almost a full kilometer away from the house but the house's largeness was clearly visible. Belatedly Franc realized he could be seen from the house, so he ran and hid behind a tree. Running from tree to tree, he paused occasionally to gauge his distance while the pendant steadily pulled him forward.

He was at the edge of the clearing surrounding the house when the front door opened. Franc watched as a man stepped out, put a cigarette in his mouth, and got in his car driving away. Franc counted to ten before he entered through an open window. Franc stopped and listened.

Hearing nothing he quietly went to from room to room. Listening at the doors while the pendant practically leaped off his neck trying to lead him. When he finally reached the door Franc turned the door knob and just held back a scream.

Yuuri sat tied to a chair. A two way mirror in front of him and one behind. A television played a blurred show. Franc ran to Yuuri and began to untie him but Yuuri stopped him.

"Hide Franc." Yuuri mumbled through his bloody and cracked lips. "He is coming back soon and when he does I have to be here."

"No Yuuri we have to go." Franc insisted stunned by Yuuri's words into inactivity.

"Not without Murata." Yuuri whispered his eyes turning to the screen. Franc turned to see what Yuuri was watching and gasped because on the screen was Murata and a man Franc had never seen before. Franc stared at Murata's dazed expression and bloodied passage.

"Oh God." Franc began to shake.

"Leave now." Yuuri whispered tears falling anew. "Come back tomorrow. He has to go to work tomorrow."

"What if he takes the both of you with him?" Franc asked quietly.

"He wants me here so I can keep watching." Yuuri responded bitterly. "Don't worry about me Franc. I am beyond him now. My one worry is for Murata. Get Shori if you can."

"I will do it." Franc confirmed leaving the room and leaving the way he had came. The pendant around his throat started beating against his chest trying to get back to Yuuri but to no avail. Franc had his marching orders and now he needed to get Shori.

Beta's Note: Yay, angst and Yuuri whumping. And I edited this while listening to 'Bleed For You', which is pretty much a song about the aftermath of being raped (how appropriate) while at the late Thanksgiving my family's hosting. So now that you know how important this story is to some people, please review.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kyo Kara Maoh.**

**I intended to update multiple times before the New Year, but none of my chapters seemed right or to work. I worked on several other projects until finally it came to me what had been missing. **

Shori and Franc shared a weird and slightly controversial history with each other. Shori would go out to different BDSM clubs and see Franc out on display. Sometimes Franc would be dancing; sometimes he would be perched somewhere. Shori watched Franc display himself in outfits ranging from little white and blue sailor boy outfit to a corset and heels. Shori watched Franc through his shades and wanted him but knew better.

Meanwhile Franc would see a man in dark shades, leather pants and a black dress shirt. The man, Shori would simply get a whiskey and coke; sit in the corner of the darkened club watching his surroundings. A month into their orbiting of each other Franc finally approached Shori. The two danced around each other for a while before they talked. They quickly ruled each other out as sex partners but grew to like each other as friends.

Shori had been the one to encourage Franc's interest in Psychology while Franc had been the one to help Shori deal with some of his issues and come to terms with his more dominant nature. The two remained close even when Shori started training with Bob and Franc went to get his degrees. Franc had told Shori about his then upcoming trip to Shin Makoku. Shori had been amused and told him to say hi to his brother when he saw him. Franc had not realized until he met Yuuri that there was any relation. In a way, that casual assumption of knowledge never explicitly stated was what Franc came to term as Shori's coping mechanism for things he was unsure about.

Their history explained why Franc's sudden appearance on Shori's doorstep only caused slight disturbance. "Franc what the hell happened?" Shori demanded letting the bedraggled Franc into his house. "Excuse the mess but…"

"I found Yuuri and Murata." Franc interrupted flopping onto the sofa in Shori's living room.

"What are you sitting down for then? Wait no, how do you know those two and then how did you know they were missing." Shori demanded suspiciously.

"I have been the Maou's personal therapist for a while now." Franc admitted. "As to how I know…" Franc lifted the necklace charm so that Shori could see it. The jewel shone a ruby red that clashed horribly with the normal clear blue. "This found me."

"Still doesn't explain why you are sitting down." Shori growled his black eyes flashing dangerously as he mentally ran through the different color meanings for the pendant.

"Yuuri does not wish to further endanger Murata. He asked I wait until there is more time for an escape." Franc paused. "I think he knows that it will be hard to get Murata to leave. If I had just gotten Yuuri out odds are Murata wouldn't have come."

"Shit." Shori flopped onto the other end of the couch and regarded Franc through narrowed eyes.

"Apparently Murata is a little confused right now." Franc responded shivering lightly.

"Take your clothes off and get a shower." Shori commanded. "I'll get some clothes for you to wear and get some things in order for our rescue mission."

"Don't forget me." Gunter spoke as he entered the hallway from a secret passage.

"Where the heck did you come from?" Franc yelped surprised by Gunter's entrance.

"There is an indoor pool that I can get a portal through in case of emergency. Gunter sent through that he was coming." Shori explained. "Now go shower and change before you die of pneumonia. I need all the details of where they are, what security is in place, possible complications…"

"I got it." Franc sneezed hurrying off to shower, change and right down all he knew about the house in the woods.

"Shori there are some things I have to tell you." Gunter spoke quietly as he watched Franc leave the room.

"I don't think I am going to like this am I?" Shori responded cocking an eyebrow before tilting his head towards his study. Gunter knew the way and Shori followed soon after with tea.

Gunter sat down in one of the overstuffed blue chairs in the sitting area of Shori's study. Shori placed the tea on the coffee table and studied Gunter's face. Shori's dark eyes probed Gunter's violet was briefly before going to a cabinet. Pulling out a bottle of sake, he made his way to another chair facing Gunter.

"There are some things I found out about the Great Sage…" Gunter trailed off as Shori served him some tea and then sat a shot of sake beside it.

"Murata he doesn't love you!" Yuuri screamed at the two-way mirror, his voice hoarse as he watched Hisao defile Murata again. Yuuri felt the tears falling and tried desperately to figure out a way out of this mess. The drugs made all of his thoughts fuzzy and disjointed. Yuuri remembered Franc but he did not remember maybe he had hallucinated it or it had really happened.

Yuuri continued to watch as though in a funhouse mirror. Hisao took a knife from out of nowhere and cut across Murata's stomach the cuts were deep and jagged. Murata's screams drowned out by Hisao's laughter. Yuuri watched blurrily as something slipped from the bleeding. It looked like nothing more than a shadow. Yuuri thought he was losing his mind.

In the room by himself, Yuuri had never felt so alone. The only company Hisao allowed Yuuri was the videos of what Hisao did to Murata and the live action in front of him. Yuuri missed other people and he doubted he would be able to look at Murata the same way again.

"Murata please snap out of it." Yuuri murmured before his head drooped down to his chest and he was still. The metal handcuffs keeping him in the chair dripped more blood on the floor as they effectively slit his wrists for him.

"I can't believe this." Shori swore watching as Hisao exited the building his eyes burning in their hatred.

"What did Gunter tell you?" Franc whispered from his lookout perch.

"You will probably find out eventually so I see no need to tell you now." Shori snapped irritably focused.

"He's gone." Franc whispered. Shori stealthily disappeared from his side. Franc waited anxiously for Shori's return. Shori came out of the front door with Yuuri slung over his shoulder. Shori's face was grim as he approached Franc.

"We need to get him to Bob's." Shori whispered urgently.

"What about Murata?" Franc asked helping to load Yuuri into the vehicle.

"I have to go back for him. Why do you think I made both of us drive?" Shori retorted bandaging Yuuri's wrists. "Drive fast, he has lost a lot of blood but he should be fine.

"Be careful Shori." Franc responded climbing into the front seat of the black convertible.

"Take care of Yuuri." Shori responded gruffly. "Murata may take a while."

Franc nodded at Shori touching his hand briefly before driving away. Shori watched them go before he turned back to the house. Mentally cracking his knuckles, Shori pulled the leather collar from his pocket. A simple silver locket holding a round oval of black opal twinkled darkly back at Shori.

Putting the collar back in his pocket, Shori sighed. Stealthily he found his way to the room where Murata's body lay, unconscious. Shori sat on the bed beside the bloody husk that was Murata's body.

"Murata I know you are in there somewhere." Shori whispered quietly into Murata's ear. For a moment, he studied Murata's body. Murata's pale and slender frame showed angry red marks, white scar tissue formation and leaking scars. Murata's chest seemed barely moving as he breathed and his breathing was coming out fainter and fainter. Placing his hand on Murata's chest, he traced a particularly deep scar across his abdomen.

"Leave my body alone!" A quivering shout rang out from somewhere in the shadows. Shori turned and studied the room. A mass of shadows furthest from the light drew his attention. Slowly Shori sank to the ground beside Murata's prone bedridden form. Putting his back against the bed Shori looked into the shadows and waited.

"Go away we don't want you here." The shadow screamed and seemed to shift.

"So are you that part of Murata that has been suppressed for so long?" Shori asked quietly his eyes watching the shifting and fleeting movements of the shadow.

"Don't speak of something you know nothing about!" The voice whimpered loudly. "You don't know what I have had happen to me."

"I think you need to heal." Shori spoke slowly slipping the collar out of his pocket and running it through his palms.

"I have disappeared for generations at a time to heal and nothing has worked or changed." The shadow shrewdly shrieked.

"Being alone is not something that helps the healing of a tortured soul. Especially one as damaged as yours." Shori retorted slipping the leather collar through his fingers again. The shadow lengthened slowly, approaching his form. Shori watched the shadow move out of the corner of his eye.

"What is your offer?" The shadow moved closer seemingly entranced by the glimmer of the silver and opal.

"I have noticed the torture your body has gone through isn't healing it. Those who you have approached to heal it have been selfish or ill equipped to deal with the trauma." Shori paused letting his gaze turn to Murata. Turning to Murata's body, he sat on his knees. Placing the collar on the bed, he ran a finger across Murata's face tracing the lines. "You have always looked after others, maybe it is time to let someone else in to look after you."

"We tried that and look where it got us!" The shadow screamed in Shori's ear but Shori remained impassive. "We love and receive abuse, hatred and horrors. Why trust you, why let you try were others fail?"

"Hope." Shori spoke his voice steel. "You have hoped for generations for someone to own you and someone you can own. Let me own you. You know what this collar stands for, the opal representation."

"No one owns us!" the soul shadow's voice screeched indignantly.

"Reciprocity." Shori murmured and the soul shadow seemed to calm. Shori felt a presence seemingly breathing on his face. "If you belong to me I belong to you. You are free to go when you please."

"Opal represents an ancestor's presence." The shadow spoke quietly.

"You forgot the other representations." Shori countered his finger tracing Murata's bottom lip. "They also represent hope, happiness and truth. Fitting isn't it?"

There was a long silence, as the soul piece seemed to think about the words Shori spoke. The shadow quietly weighed the strength of his soul and his presence before finally speaking as though the world was too heavy for its shoulders.

"Put the collar on me and heal my body, only time will tell if you can heal me." The soul sighed into Shori's ear before the shadow passed back into his body. A small portion remained outside slipping into a silver and opal signet ring. Shori placed the collar around Murata's neck and put on his black opal and silver ring. Wrapping the sheet around Murata's body, Shori picked him up and quickly left. The collar around Murata's neck glowed faintly as part of Shori's soul made its way into the opal with a faint sigh escaping from his mouth, Murata's body relaxed, the first time in a long time.

**Review and let me know what you think please. I hope that you enjoyed it and can tell me what you liked if you didn't like it review and tell me why. Thanks for reading.**


	8. Chapter 8

**I do not own Kyo Kara Maoh.**

**Notes: This is unbetaed. **

Yuuri was walking through a field of 7-foot tall sunflowers and corn aimlessly. Dressed in a pair of grey flannel pajama bottoms and blue t-shirt, Yuuri felt conspicuous among the yellows and greens of the field. He became aware of a presence in front of him as he pushed through a particularly thick patch into "Ulrike what the heck are you doing here?" Yuuri stammered out.

"Sorry to interrupt. I needed to get in touch with you and your dreams seemed the best way." Ulrike whispered softly floating towards Yuuri. Here eyes shining strangely in the light.

"Well spit it out so I can continue to tip toe through the sunflowers." Yuuri snapped brushing a hand across his forehead where beads of perspiration where starting to reform. "If this is a dream why the heck am I so hot?" Yuuri complained before concentrating his attention on Ulrike's shimmering form.

"Someone else is in your body now, making it hard for you to have control of your dreams." Ulrike explained smiling slightly before her expression turned grave. "It is not my place to tell you what to do but I think you should return to this world as soon as possible."

"If I can wake up again, I would love to go home." Yuuri retorted. "As you can see I am a little lost in the middle of an unnatural forest of food and sunflowers."

"This is just a barrier to help you heal. It will be getting thinner as the healing completes itself." Ulrike smiled at a sunflower. The sunflower seemingly bowed and rested its flowered head on her shoulder. Ulrike sighed, closing her eyes briefly before opening them again, her gaze direct. "Hurry back, your majesty. You are needed home soon." Ulrike gave one last smile before she drifted out of sight.

"So pretty much I have to keep walking if I want to get out of this." Yuuri grumbled. "Great and when I wake up I have to hurry home for some unknown reason. Note to self, figure out how Ulrike manages to pop up at the worst moment possible." Yuuri continued his trek through the sunflowers and corn until he felt a pulsing of energy nearby. Yuuri stopped in front of an a solid yellow wall. It looked as though someone had taken the corn kernels and petals of the sunflower to make it.

Cautiously pushing Yuuri realized that the wall was solid as a rock. "This is ridiculous my own body is against me!" Yuuri exclaimed crossing his arms and frowning at the wall before inspiration struck. "Body of mine you do realize the sooner I get out of here the sooner we see Wolfram." Yuuri waited a beat, shocked when things went from peacefully silent to dead stillness. Reaching his hand out to the wall once more he let his fingertips graze the wall.

Nothing seemed to be happening but when Yuuri exerted more force; he found himself falling through the wall and then pushed through the barrier. The corn and sunflower petals gave him a rough massage as he passed through. Finally, Yuuri felt something wet graze his fingertips and a feeling of floating before his expulsion into the waiting water of his subconscious mind. Yuuri held his breath as he began a rapid ascension to the surface. He watched trains of thought swim by as though they were schools of fish. As he got closer to the surface Yuuri noticed a particular thought following him in the form of a dolphin not far behind was a shark.

Yuuri woke slowly to find Gunter sitting by his bedside. Gunter did not notice that Yuuri was awake, so Yuuri took in his surroundings. The room done in blues and cream was soothing. The cream-colored railings and dark blue fabric on the furniture offset the light blue of the walls. A dark blue armchair sat in front of a light wood desk. Bookcases lined the wall behind the desk while a large window with French doors and cream-colored curtains fluttered with the breeze. The overall feeling of the room was peaceful and soothing.

Yuuri turned from his examination of his surroundings and studied Gunter briefly. Gunter looked slightly haggard with bags under his eyes but an unmistakable twinkle sparkled in his eyes. Yuuri turned to see what had attracted Gunter's attention. Yuuri thought he was dreaming. On the bed next to him sat his brother Shori with Murata sitting on his lap.

Murata was spewing insults and looking mutinous while Shori ignored him and applied ointment to his many scars and lacerations. Bandaging him up gently after he was done. Yuuri took note of the collar surrounding Murata's neck and the matching ring on Shori's finger. Yuuri could barely contain his smile as he watched Murata continued disagreeableness and Shori's patient care. To an outsider it would look as though Murata was a shrew and hated the attention but to Yuuri the surprise and slight bewilderment was visible in Murata's eyes.

Yuuri turned away giving the two some privacy and knowing that everything would be okay. Yuuri caught Gunter looking at him with a raised eyebrow and he could not help it, Yuuri laughed breaking the spell surrounding the room. Yuuri yelped as pain flared through his side and left him gasping.

"Easy there, bruised ribs aren't necessarily conductive to laughing hard." Shori reprimanded as he slid Murata off his lap and back under the covers.

"Was that supposed to be funny?" Yuuri griped easing himself into a sitting position. Gunter put some extra pillows behind him to aid the process.

"No but I think it would be nice for you to be properly healed before you go back to Wolfram." Gunter spoke quietly.

"How is he?" Yuuri questioned settling back into the pillows.

"I am lucky that the clothes I was wearing were fire retardant when I told him you were here." Gunter chuckled as he remembered. "On the other hand I won't be getting sex until the next coming but that's neither here nor there."

"I think that is enough talk for the moment." Shori interjected pushing a stray lock from Murata's face. "You two need to rest. Come on Gunter we have work to do." Gunter nodded at Yuuri and Murata before following Shori out the door.

"Yuuri I'm…"

"Save it Murata." Yuuri waved off what he knew was an apology. "This could have been avoided if someone had stepped up in the beginning." Yuuri settled deeper into his pillows after his short speech.

"Can I just say then that if you grow up to look anything like Shori physically…" Murata trailed off with an appreciative whistle.

"What was that you told me previously about attractive pitchers?" Yuuri teased, smiling. Murata's good humor fled and he looked down at his fingers. "I won't tell you not to blame yourself because regardless you will do it anyway but know this, he will not get away with it."

"That's not what worries me." Murata mumbled getting up and hobbling his way to Yuuri's bed. Yuuri scooted over to make room. "Hisao said that he wanted to go home and see if it has changed."

"Yeah so what does that have to do with anything? Shori will track him wherever he goes." Yuuri spoke confidently but careful studied Murata who in turn focused his attention on the ceiling.

"Yuuri home for him is Shin Makaku." Murata finished in a rush.

"WHAT!"

Shori blinked slowly while Gunter's body went into mini spasms from where he stood. Shori inhaled and exhaled slowly before he told Bob to repeat his statement.

"Apparently Hisao managed to sneak through a portal into Shin Makoku." Bob spoke slowly.

"It just makes it that much easier to make sure justice is done." Franc spoke with conviction but something in Shori's face stopped him from speaking further.

"Where exactly will this portal put him?" Shori spoke slowly his eyes burning into the shaded gaze of Bob's. Gunter called on his resolve and swung around to regard Bob with a narrow violet gaze.

Franc stared down at the pendent as it went from crystalline blue to a swirling and frothy black and began to slap rhythmically against his chest.

* * *

Hisao smiled at his surroundings. "Home, sweet home." Hisao shouted and laughed as he exited the fountain. He shed his disguise and turned when he felt someone's gaze on him. "Hello pretty one why don't you come and play with me." Hisao slowly walked towards the petrified figure staring at him.

**I wonder who the petrified figure is? Any guesses? Review Please!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kyo Kara Maou or make any profit from writing this.**

**Also this is unbetaed. My beta has been really busy lately so if anyone is interested in being her backup let me know. **

Needles clicked a steady tempo as Gwendal tried desperately to rein his towering emotions. Gwendal did not deal with his emotions on principle. They troubled him and drained his energy. "My skin is crawling." Gwendal mused looking at his right hand that was starting to shake uncontrollably. The crash and breaking of a mirror pushed Gwendal out of himself.

"_Before Gunter left he went to see Ulrike_." Gwendal dropped his knitting. "_She has to know something_." Gwendal practically ran from the room, as bad omens seemed to be occurring all around him. "_Please let him be okay._" Gwendal wished fervently as he hurried to the Hall of Oracles.

* * *

Ulrike stepped back her eyes widening at Hisao's salacious expression. Behind her, she heard someone calling her name but nothing existed but her and the man others knew as Hisao.

"Look who it is." Hisao smiled winningly at Ulrike. "The lovely temple maiden, what do you call yourself now, hmmm?"

"I should be asking you that?" Ulrike retorted trying and failing to keep the faint tremor out of her voice.

"ULRIKE!" Wolfram yelled running to where he could see a man towering over Ulrike's petite form. Drawing his sword Wolfram called a challenge.

"Ulrike is it?" Hisao smiled into Ulrike's eyes before turning his gaze to the charging blonde, who stopped at the head of the steps. Emerald eyes clashed with honey brown as memories rushed to the fore.

"You!" Wolfram growled his voice trembling in rage.

"Well, if it isn't the baby of the family, little Wolfie." Hisao clapped in amusement. "Wolfie has finally grown some teeth but does he use them well I wonder." Hisao paused putting a finger to his chin in a pantomime of deep thought.

"Leave." Ulrike commanded her voice squeaking out.

"I am a traveler not of this place; whatever shall I do without your hospitality?" Hisao asked his smile turning dangerous.

"You heard her, leave!" Wolfram commanded bracing himself to attack.

"I have overstayed my welcome already haven't I?" Hisao chuckled letting his chin rest on his chest briefly. Looking at the petite pair from beneath his eyelashes, Hisao felt an idea forming. "If I must go I shall take a souvenir, so which shall it be, Wolfie or the fair maiden?"

"No!" Wolfram shouted throwing a ball of fire at Hisao. Hisao neatly caught it and smiled.

"Have you ever seen water on fire?" Hisao asked twirling the fire around his fingertips. "The steam is so hot it can melt your flesh off if you are in the water." Hisao returned the volley of fire with a laugh. It hit Wolfram and slammed him into a pillar.

"That is enough!" Ulrike cried running to Wolfram's side.

"I'll say when it is enough." Hisao spoke his voice hard. "As much as I have enjoyed this interlude it must come to an end. Therefore, I shall repeat the question in a way you can understand. Who comes with me and who is left to deliver a message?"

"You aren't getting either of us." Wolfram growled standing with Ulrike's aide. Holding a hand to his bleeding side, he tried to focus on the wavering image before him.

"Bold talk, Wolfie but where's your action?" Hisao mocked his eyes glinting dangerously.

"He is not the one you need to worry about." The dark voice spoke quietly. Hisao slowly turned to face Shori, Yuuri, Gunter and Murata. Murata was sitting piggyback on Shori. Gunter was fairly glowing with a dangerous light.

"Bravo!" Hisao clapped laughing at their appearance. "The heroes are here to save the day."

"Stuff it Hisao, you are about to get what's coming to you." Yuuri's voice floated out dark and commanding. His hair floating on the wind as his feet floated on the water.

"You have committed many atrocities in both worlds and are thus charges with crimes of rape, destruction and other crimes against the state." Shori spoke with an air of command and hidden danger. The walls of the oracles hall shook with his furor. "How do you plead?"

"Guilty as charged." Hisao crowed his eyes crinkling with mirth. "It should amuse you to know that I have slept with everyone here baring you, little Wolfie and the fair maiden. This has the potential to be an awkward trial."

"The information you provide is not relevant to current events." Yuuri's voice cracked through the air like a whip.

"Here in your kingdom, Heika it does." Hisao smiled. "I claim sanctuary and since I was allowed to enter here, I can stay."

"You lie!" Yuuri roared readying to strike.

"He speaks the truth." Ulrike whispered horrified by this change of events, effectively stilling Yuuri's hand. "To break the claim of sanctuary would destroy the hall itself."

"Very useful things these religious places." Hisao smiled to himself as he walked up the short set of stairs leading away from the pool of water. He stopped at the column next to the one Wolfram was propped against. "If only we hadn't been interrupted." Hisao's smile held a dangerous promise. Wolfram wisely put himself and Ulrike on the other side of the column away from him.

"Is there really nothing we can do?" Shori demand angrily.

"Ulrike has the right of it." Murata murmured soothingly as Shori and Yuuri both came down.

"To strike him after he has declared sanctuary would be to strike oneself down, as well." Gunter spoke in a carefully measured tone his eyes glowing dangerously.

"I could have killed him before he declared sanctuary!" Wolfram fumed at Ulrike, wincing as he tried to straighten remembering his injury.

"Wolfram you are to stay away from him at all costs do you hear me?" Yuuri yelled splashing water as he hurried to his spouse.

"Gwendal must be informed." Gunter spoke wearily.

"Of more than just Hisao's return it would seem." Murata spoke quietly and Shori studied Gunter thoughtfully.

Something in Gunter's posture set off an alarm in Shori's head. After a moment Shori knew, "It all started with you didn't it?" Shori asked shifting Murata a little higher on his back. Murata's arms tightened around his neck slightly.

"Honestly I don't know but this will end with me and him. One of our souls will never return and one shall be born in the form of the others most prized possession." Gunter spoke slowly his words a solemn oath. Shori felt Murata's body tremor slightly as the wind picked up.

Ulrike rushed through the temple determined to keep an eye on Hisao, in order to alert the appropriate people when he was no longer on the grounds. Ulrike ducked behind a pillar and peeked around it. Hisao had stopped at one of the entrances.

Moving hesitantly towards a window further down the hall Ulrike peeked through it and her eyes widened.

Gwendal strolled up the pathway patting his stomach lightly to comfort himself and gather his nerve. The doorway in front of him slowly opened. Gwendal turned his eyes toward it a greeting forming on his lips.

"Hello, Gwendal." Hisao called sneering, as the General turned as gray as his hair. "It has been too long. Now you are pregnant. You have managed to move on well with your life."

Gwendal took a step back his grey eyes widening, his hand resting protectively on his stomach. "Hisao I assume you are under sanctuary?" Gwendal asked evenly.

"So formal Gwen, when we are such old friends." Hisao mocked walking slowly down the stairs. Pausing at the last step Hisao teasingly shifted his weight. "Let's chat. Who would knock up a dirty little rag like you?" Hisao tapped his chin in though pacing the width of the step.

"I don't see how it is any concern of yours." Gwendal retorted his eyes flashing. "He obviously was much more than adequate in some areas."

"Or do you mean more willing to accept second best." Hisao jabbed clasping his hands behind his back, his head tilted calculating and appraising. Ulrike cursed her height as she struggled to see more clearly through the window. Giving up she hurried to the entrance, catching sight of Gunter sailing towards it out of her peripheral.

"No someone who could love me, who could see me an imperfect person perfectly." Gwendal smiled peacefully as he realized something. "Gunter loves me and I love him. Nothing you could do could change that."

Hisao's eyes glinted dangerously at the mention of the name. A wave of hate surged forth. Ulrike's screams mingled with Gwendal's as the blade Hisao had hidden at his back found its mark.

**I think I will hold the next chapter for ransom until I get say six reviews. Review you know you want to...**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kyo Kara Maoh or make any money from this, no copyright infringement was intended.**

**Sorry it took so long. Even though the ransom was paid within three days I had to do some plot shuffling…sighs. This is unbetaed again. If anyone is interested, please let me know. In addition, the song is from Hocus Pocus.**

The blade on the houzaki-incrusted dagger flashed silver and glowed purple as it flew through the air. The ground shook and trembled, rising from its humble state to stand strong as a mountain before Gwendal. Gwendal waited for the sound of impact but none came.

Gwendal peered around the mountain cautiously. "Gunter…" Gwendal whispered staring into his lover's eyes. Gunter smiled gently back, a trickle of blood running slowly from the corner of his thin lips. Ulrike stood just behind him and to the side, her eyes wide and glistening.

Gunter slowly began to fall, his back arching slightly. His eyes sliding closed, hair fanning out as gravity pulled the blood splatter towards his hair.

"It is always silent after something horrible happens." Hisao spoke calmly walking up the steps. Looking down at the splayed out form of Gunter, Hisao sank to his knees. "Why is it always so quiet before there is a burst of sound?"

"You have killed on sacred ground." Ulrike finally spoke her voice disbelieving.

"He is not dead." Hisao spoke fondly. "Merely sleeping, waiting for the instant for things to change."

"What have you done?" Gwendal roared the ground trembling in his combined anguish and despair.

"Given myself a way out or maybe shown you the way to kill me." Hisao spoke cryptically caressing one of the long pale locks of hair.

"Don't talk in riddles, speak plainly." Gwendal commanded his voice as immovable as the mountains.

"If in fact you love him and he loves you, your kiss should wake him up." Hisao stood from his crouched position. "However, if you fail the houzaki will not only kill him but yourself as well."

"Why should I believe you?" Gwendal demanded his gray eyes implacable.

"You don't have to." Hisao spoke with a shrug. "Technically because of sanctuary you can't hurt me because I didn't kill him, granted you have only 100 days because of the houzaki to save him, not 100 years."

"His blood is flowing down the stairs, painting them crimson." Ulrike argued her voice tinkling.

"If I had broken sanctuary you would have felt it." Hisao looked at Ulrike calmly. "Assuming you are the handmaiden here."

Gwendal glanced at Ulrike to find her nodding in agreement. "What are your terms?"

"This isn't a ransom." Hisao smiled briefly at Gwendal's officious tone. "This is a gamble. If your feelings and his feelings hold true after you kiss, Gunter will awaken. He will be a pint short of blood but he will live." Hisao shrugged out the last bit.

"What happens to you?" Shori asked stepping out of the shadows beyond the door.

"I will be at your mercy." Hisao bowed in acknowledgement.

"Loopholes are the quickest way to the noose." Shori bowed back politely.

"You will be confined to one room to await the verdict." Yuuri spoke calmly from the shadows. "If you have lied, no rule, old or new, will keep me from rendering you to shreds."

"This is surreal." Wolfram whispered venomously from his place next to Yuuri, rubbing his stomach in an absentminded fashion.

"No it is the challenge of Sleeping Beauty." Murata explained pushing his glasses up on his nose, one hand securely holding onto Shori's arm.

"That's a fairy tale." Yuuri exclaimed staring at Ulrike for confirmation.

"No, it is a story that made it across the worlds." Ulrike retorted clasping her hands in front of her before her face morphed from its normal serene expression to one of command. Her eyes glowed white hot as they landed on Hisao. Ulrike's normally childish voice crackled out of her mouth with authority. "By your own words you are bound to the room of Judgment. For the course of actions you have set into motion, there is only one resolution. Do you accept your punishment if you are proven false in your accusation?"

"I do." Hisao nodded to Ulrike respectfully. Liquid water chains flowed from Ulrike to Hisao hardening into diamonds, chaining them together. With a nod at the two kings, Ulrike dissolved them into the ground.

"What accusation did Hisao make?" Yuuri asked turning his gaze to Murata as Shori lifted Gunter bridal style and took him into the temple, Gwendal following closely behind.

"Hisao accused Gwendal of lying about his true feelings for Gunter." Murata explained his eyes watching as Shori smoothly moved, unhampered by Gunter's weight. "The true test of Sleeping Beauty isn't about just true love; it is about the soul as well."

"I see." Yuuri's eyes closed and his hand came up to scratch his chin. "You would know a lot about that wouldn't you? Compared to Shori's or even my soul, yours is even older."

Murata stiffed abruptly. "What do you mean?"

"Simply that you are a grumpy old man." Yuuri responded turning to find where Wolfram had made off to, refocusing when he found Wolfram taking care of Gwendal's horse. "You still haven't explained this test of soul."

"It's complicated." Murata hedged feeling slightly uneasy, the story being to close to his own.

"In the last couple of months what hasn't been?" Yuuri scoffed. "If it were that easy Gwendal could have just kissed Gunter already and been done with it."

"True but there are thorns and dragons surrounding him like the fairy tale." Murata sighed rubbing the back of his head gingerly. "I need to gather my thoughts and more information before I tell you the whole of it."

"By all means…" Yuuri acknowledged Murata's statement with a nod, his eyes still on Wolfram.

"You both should be in bed." Shori commanded approaching the two. "The travel here takes a lot of energy. Neither of you have healed enough to be doing anything to extraneous."

"Yes mom." Yuuri grumbled at his brother as Wolfram had approached and heard their conversation.

"Come on wimp let's get you to bed." Wolfram commanded dragging Yuuri to the guesthouse next to the temple.

Shori shook his head as he watched them go before he turned his eyes to Murata. Studying him briefly, Shori held out his hand. Sighing exaggeratedly Murata took it and followed behind Shori grumbling half heartedly about demanding kings.

* * *

"You know you are going to die." Ulrike spoke quietly from her side of the cage. The place she had dragged Hisao to was an underground cave. The moistness of the walls hid the unyielding diamonds below the black surface.

"No I won't." Hisao smiled looking at Ulrike. "Gwendal has no idea what happened because he was covered in Earth. The others arrived too late to see what Gunter did, what I really did." Hisao studied his hands and Ulrike remained silent. "You can't leave me to tell them what you saw. If they don't know or can't figure it out Gunter dies, regardless of if Gwendal his soul mate and true love."

"I saw the houzaki on the blade but what did you do?" Ulrike spoke her eyes widening as she replayed the scene repeatedly in her head.

"I won." Hisao spoke and began to hum lightly to himself. The sound growing until he was singing,

_Come little children, I'll take you away,_

_To a land of enchantment----_

"You couldn't have…" Ulrike felt every bone in her body solidify into stone. The music of her heartbeat roaring through her ears, demanding a release, an explosion of some sort but she was stone.

"If you leave me to help them I am free to leave as well." Hisao studied her, eyes ablaze with a special kind of madness. "Now what exactly is the lovely temple maiden going to do?" For once Ulrike was terrified of the answer because Hisao was right, one way or the other Hisao could win.

**FYI: This chapter may be a tad confusing and vague but it is done purposefully, I assure you. Now for the ransom for the next chapter…10 reviews! I am almost finished with it and believe me when I say it is a doozy…not that this one wasn't. So what did you think?**


	11. Chapter 11

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Kyo Kara Maoh!**_

_**Alright now, for the long awaited explanation chapter or I should say part of it... It is a little to long for one chapter so I had to make it two. Thanks to all the people who reviewed. Even if it was only to tell me how mean, I was for doing a teaser rather than an actual chapter.**_

Shori looked through Gunter's stuff as stealthily as possible. "What is the connection?" He spoke along as he visually looked around Gunter's surprisingly Spartan suite. "Why the heck is everything so sterile looking?" Shori questioned as he continued his visual sweep. Walking towards the closet, he opened it but quickly shut it again.

"Find something you didn't want to see?" Murata asked entering the room.

"That gives me too many ideas, especially with your injuries, for me to go there." Shori sighed giving the door a pat before his eyes fell on another door. Murata looked at him sharply but Shori focused on the hidden door. This door, cleverly hidden, was in plain sight in a large expanse of plain white wall, worked into the ensconcing and paneling of the wood.

Slowly Shori walked forward, his hand outstretched but just stopped a breath away. "This wasn't here when I entered." Shori pulled his hand away studying the door shrewdly.

"Remember when that doll that shot rays out of his eyes appeared." Murata asked.

"You think this is another one of Gunter's defense mechanisms against death?" Shori enquired looking at Murata over his shoulder.

"Whatever is behind that door deals with what is going on now." Murata paused, his eyes shadowed. "If you go in there you can't speak of what you see."

"You knew this would be here?" Shori turned fully to face Murata who perched on a chair.

"I guessed." Murata shrugged nonchalantly. "Those who have a lot of secrets or whose souls have lived before times keep things around that may be useful at a later date."

"I fully expect to have a gander in yours one day." Shori responded evenly but Murata just waved him off.

"We will cross that bridge if we get there."

"It's when not if we get there. How will knowing something but not being able to speak about it help?" Shori asked running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Your actions will determine a lot." Murata replied solemnly. "I'll wait for you."

"Of course…" Shori scoffed as he went and kissed Murata on forehead eliciting a blush in response. Turning around again to face the wall Shori walked forward. The door gave slightly at his touch. Shori frowned, pushing harder at the door. When it did not give, he simply rested his hands on the door and thought about other ways to open it. The door sucked him through so quickly that he did not have to time to yell.

Murata sat on the bed and sighed. "I hope he doesn't get any ideas." Murata blushed slightly. "Then again…"

* * *

Shori felt like he was falling at mach speed. The suddenness of his stop temporarily disoriented him but that changed when he got a look at his surroundings. All around him there were projections showing different times in Gunter's life. One scene however was glowing brighter than all the others were. Stumbling towards it, Shori was horrified as the glowing television started to pull him in and nothing he did could stop it.

"_Gunter what do you think about the name Gigi?" Hisao called golden eyes sparkling as he waddled over to Gunter. Gunter dropped the paperwork he was holding and wrapped both arms around Hisao's middle. Kissing Hisao's baby bump gently, Gunter shifted his chair back slightly before looking up at Hisao, his peaceful eyes._

"_She doesn't feel like a Gigi. What about a Yoshi?" Gunter smiled gently as Hisao appeared thoughtful before sliding into his lap. _

"_I think we are going to be the greatest parents regardless if we name her Gigi or Yoshi." Hisao snuggled into Gunter's chest and knew peace. "I feel as though I am in a fairytale." _

"_Would you like to be the princess or the dragon?" Gunter asked rubbing Hisao's back. Hisao responded with mock outrage. _

"_Sweetie we know I am the castle where your heart lives." _

"_Protect it well." Gunter chuckled resting his hand on Hisao's bump._

"_With all the elements at my disposal and all that I am." Hisao responded solemnly as the couple sat in harmony and tranquility safe from all the troubles of the world._

Gunter's body jerked and spasmed, his eyes frantically moved behind his closed eyelids. What was a dream and what had been his reality?

"_Shori?" Gunter whispered as he spied Shori standing in the corner watching Hisao and the other Gunter sitting peacefully together._

"_Gunter you can see me and what are you doing here?" Shori whispered back moving stealthily over to stand next to him. _

"_I think I am reliving my past." Gunter spoke slowly as the scene in front of him faded._

"_So you and Hisao were…" Shori asked making a random hand gesture. _

"_Yes we were together." Gunter spoke his gaze off in the distance. "We were going to get married as soon as the baby was born." _

"_What happened?" Shori asked looking around at the different projections of memories. _

"_I don't know." Gunter murmured as he began walking aimlessly around the projections. Occasionally laughing at one or frowning at another, his feet constantly moving towards some unknown goal. Shori followed close behind and shivered slightly when the projections began to change from light to dark. The light from them no longer glowing happily but dripping with dark menace. _

_Gunter was shaking now. His feet kept moving him forward but it was obvious that he did not want to go. The tears started falling as they approached one projection that was bigger and darker than all the rest. Gunter was shaking uncontrollably now, trying to force himself to turn away but his feet kept moving. Shori grabbed his arm just as Gunter fell into the projection._

* * *

Gwendal sat staring at Gunter's still form wondering if he would be able to save him. Leaning forward Gwendal prepared to kiss him only to have Gunter's eyes open, wide and fearful. Gunter's mouth dropped open as he let loose a blood-curdling scream, his whole body spasming and jumping while blood tears fell from his eyes.

* * *

Murata sat patiently waiting in the bed looking at a book. Shifting his gaze to the door his blood ran cold when he noticed a solitary trickle of blood sliding from the top of the doorframe.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kyo Kara Maou.**

**Thanks to my readers and reviewers for having patience. My beta 2stupid also gets my thanks for helping me work through the issues I saw with this part of the chapters, as well as listening to me groan about not getting this chapter right the first time. Enjoy!**

_Shori and Gunter stood in a dungeon. Wet pops filled the air as a whip met its target repeatedly. Gunter slid down the dark dungeon wall and sat on the floor, hugging his knees to him his eyes unseeing. Shori looked down at Gunter and knew that whatever was happening in the room behind them was important. _

_Making his way slowly around Gunter's form Shori peaked in the doorway. Men in masks were standing around while another repeatedly hit the pregnant form of Hisao. Gunter sat in a chair, bloodied and broken. One of the men held his hair back so he could see the whip landing on Hisao's pregnant belly. _

_Blood slowly began to drip from Hisao's passage as his body gave up the fight to save the baby. Hisao had long sense stopped screaming and Shori couldn't help but be sick. Shori dry heaved repeatedly before he could get himself under control enough to watch again._

_A petite man came forward and ran a hand across Hisao's face, slapping lightly. "You shouldn't have run from your responsibilities. This would have never happened if you had just married me but now you have nothing left. No baby and soon you shall have no spouse. He won't remember this but you will never forget."_

_The petite man walked out the door passing Shori and the trembling form of Gunter. Shori slid down the wall beside Gunter, staring unseeing at the other side of the hallway, his breathing shallow. "I can't see another memory, what happened after this?" Shori whispered._

"_I managed to escape." Gunter sniffed. "I got Hisao out and came back."  
_

"_Did you kill the small one?" Shori asked still staring unseeing at the stonewalls._

"_Yes I took all the air from his body." Gunter smiled slowly. "I told Hisao what happened and he was oddly silent. I tried to hold him but he would not let me touch him. He went from so loving to so cold."_

_Shori maintained his silence and began to study his hands as he felt Gunter slowly unclench himself. "We drifted apart, Shori. Hisao wanted revenge and I wanted to forget. Hisao and I couldn't be together any more. Hisao started to train to be a better fighter. A strong user of the elements, he even went so far as to inject himself with something to give him partial control of other elements besides his own."_

"_You broke apart…" Shori was thoughtful._

"_Hisao was becoming more and more unstable and was particularly savage to those who were petite." Gunter stopped. "I gave up. I left him. I couldn't do it anymore."_

"_If the same thing happened to you and Gwendal would you have stayed." Shori asked._

"_I don't know." Gunter replied truthfully. "I am older, supposedly wiser but what if that has just made me blind?" _

"_It hasn't you are still with Gwendal, trying to make it right." Shori argued._

"_I am waking up now." Gunter looked up sharply, his eyes glassy._

"_So you and Gunter are meant to be." Shori nodded._

"_The baby will have Hisao's soul." Gunter spoke quietly._

"_What?" Shori swung to look at Gunter, whose figure was beginning to fade. _

"_Hisao wanted another chance to live and be near me." Gunter qualified. _

"_How do you know this?" Shori asked skeptically._

"_Study the knife that hit me. You will see some interesting markings on it." Gunter faded more and Shori stood. _

_Shori felt everything begin to fade around him. He was hurtling through space and time again. The doorway appeared just in front of Shori and he smashed his face right into it. Blood gushed and Shori felt his eyes water uncontrollably. _

"Shori!" Murata yelled tossing the book and running to the door as Shori stumbled out. Shori collapsed against Murata panting for breathe. Somehow Murata managed to wrangle them both over to the bed. Murata whispered words of calm and efficiently dabbed at Shori's bleeding nose.

Shori didn't acknowledge the treatment he could only blink his bewilderment at the last part of his conversation with Gunter. A frantic knocking on the door pulled Shori from his thoughts. Yuuri stood in the doorway panting for breath.

"Hisao is dead." Yuuri gasped and Murata's arms tightened around Shori.

"The bastard died smiling." Wolfram rasped from behind Yuuri waving the parchment with the news on it.

"Is Gunter awake?" Shori croaked coughing slightly. Sitting up Shori took note of Yuuri and Wolfram's reactions. Wolfram looked relieved but Yuuri looked troubled.

"Gwendal managed to wake him up not to long ago even though for a moment we thought he had died." Wolfram conceded. "Now we can all get on with our lives." Yuuri did not speak but looked Shori in the eyes. Murata noticed the look and sought to give the two time together, alone.

"We should go see if we can't have a celebration of some sort." Murata threw out standing and leading Wolfram away. Yuuri shut the door behind them and leaned back against it.

"Are you okay?" Yuuri asked evenly studied Shori's bloodied appearance.

"As alright as I can be under the circumstances." Shori sighed running his fingers through his hair. "I can't figure if things are more complicated now that Hisao is gone or not…" Shori trailed off and Yuuri waited patiently but Shori spoke no more.

"I will only ask one question and then I will leave you to your will." Yuuri coughed running his fingers through his own hair as he gathered his thoughts. "Gunter is going to be okay, isn't he?"

"Is anyone ever okay?" Shori snorted standing and looking down at what had been a white shirt, now speckled with his blood.

**Sorry it took so long please review and tell me what you think.**


	13. Chapter 13

**I do not own Kyo Kara Maou, I make no money from this and copyright infringement was not intended.**

**Thanks for all the reviews! I read every single one even if I don't always respond. **

Gunter was withdrawn and he couldn't help it. Try as he might he couldn't muster enthusiasm for anything so he faked it and no one noticed. Inside his soul died a little each time someone asked him how he was and believed him when he said he was fine. He was not okay and never would be but lying seemed to please everyone so he just kept it up.

"I wish you could tell me what happened." Murata sighed resting his chin on Shori's shoulder.

"You aren't the only one." Shori grumbled moving Murata onto his lap.

"People will see." Murata protested but it was simply a token as he molded himself comfortably before going back to watching Gunter's performance.

"You love it." Shori placed a kiss on the top of Murata's head wrapping his arms tightly around Murata.

"I don't know about love…." Murata retorted a faint smile gracing his mouth before he squealed in an undignified manner. His squeal earned the attention of everyone in the room. Shori ignored the extra attention in lew of searching for the particular spot he had bitten to get such a lovely reaction.

"Shori stop mauling Murata!" Yuuri called from behind his desk. "Dinner will be in an hour."

"But I want my desert now!" Shori protested squeezing the blushing Murata close and pouting.

"No innuendo before dinner!" Wolfram yelled looking slightly bashful when Yuuri raised an eyebrow at him. "It's for after." Wolfram responded to Yuuri's unspoken question.

"Screw it!" Yuuri threw his pen before grabbing Wolfram and dragging him from the room. "I expect everyone at dinner in an hour." Yuuri yelled over his shoulder.

"Goodie." Shori flipped Murata over his shoulder and strolled out leaving Gwendal and Gunter alone.

Gunter continued to shuffle papers and try to look officious while Gwendal sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"Gunter is there something you want to tell me?" Gwendal asked trying to get through to his lover.

"You look fetching in green?" Gunter responded airily while he organized the papers. Gwendal twitched briefly, his patience with Gunter at an end. The hardwood flooring abruptly splintered trapping Gunter's leg up to the ankles within the floor while the desktop opened and his hands were effectively trapped.

"My patience with you is shot!" Gwendal roared slamming his hands down on the desk, his grey eyes blazing. "How can I fix it if I don't know what's wrong?"

"You can't fix this." Gunter shook his head looking at Gwendal in entreaty. "I don't want to break your heart."

"Whatever it is we can work through this together." Gwendal responded breathing deeply to try and get his temper under control.

"That's the thing I just can't." Gunter shook his head sadly.

"My patience with you grows shorter by the moment."

"Gwendal please understand…"

"No."

Gunter's body shook with emotion before he cried, "I don't want the baby!" The words ripped from his throat, choking him as sobs ripped through his body. Abruptly the floor and desk's hold on him released, sending Gunter crashing to his knees. Gwendal stumbled to a chair, sitting heavily he placed his hands on his bulging belly staring down at it.

"Why?" Gwendal looked up at his eyes flashing. "You can't just say that without reason."

"Gwendal, it will break your heart." Gunter whispered falling forward his head pressed to the floor. "Please forgive me I just can't…"

"Liar." Gwendal's voice was quiet steel in the still air. "When did you turn into a coward?"

"Gwendal he…the baby…it's going to have Hisao's soul." Gunter's words were addressed to the floor but Gwendal heard them and the vibrations went through his bones.

"You don't want this baby because it has Hisao's soul?" Gwendal spoke slowly his hand rubbing his stomach in thought.

"It's just that everything that has been going on and all the history and…"

"Stop, just stop!" Gwendal stood abruptly marching over to Gunter, looking down at him calmly. "No one has control over whose soul they receive. Most don't even know whose soul they receive. Even if they do know, like the Maou, who their soul belonged to previously it wouldn't matter. Some characteristics are ingrained but a lot of it is learned. Experiences, feelings, love…it all changes a person." Gwendal stopped taking a deep breath paling slightly. "For someone who hides his wisdom so well it seems like you have lost it recently."

"Gwendal I don't know what to say…"

"Apologize and then go get…Oh my…" Gwendal didn't finish his thoughts as he crashed to the floor. Gunter just managed to catch him. Outside the door, Shori continued to listen his chin resting in the crook of Murata's neck.

"They are going to be okay right." Shori asked the silent Murata.

"Yes the baby will be a little early but they will be fine."

"Now that all the immediate concerns are out of the way, why don't you and I go lose our selves for a while?" Shori began to nibble on Murata's neck insistently.

"Do you believe what Gwendal said is true?" Murata questioned turning in Shori's arms, looking into his eyes.

"There is more to it where you are concerned but yes." Shori nodded placing a soft kiss on Murata's forehead. "You have a long way to go before you get to the point where things will just start to fall into place."

"Are you calling me a work in progress." Murata's eyes narrowed in warning as he tried to pull free from Shori's grip.

"Name one person who isn't a work in progress." Shori responded smiling. "Until you die you are a work in progress and even if your soul continues on it still is going to be work."

"Stop trying to be wise and impressive before you give yourself a headache." Murata scoffed pleased by the explanation.

"Are you going to kiss it and make it better?" Shori sighed dramatically. "I feel almost weak from imparting my knowledge."

"Jerk."

"You don't love me yet but you will eventually." Shori whittled.

"Let's go see if Gwendal has popped out his progeny yet." Murata refrained from answering and Shori frowned before following Murata out.

"Well that was educational." Yuuri poked his head out of the closet he had sequestered Wolfram and himself.

"You planned that didn't you?" Wolfram accused looking disgruntled and rumpled. "I thought we were going to have a quickie in the closet but it was just too much to hope for."

"Wolfram, did you miss the part where Gwendal went into labor?"

Wolfram blinked into Yuuri's smiling black eyes before smacking him. "Wolfram, what the hell was that for?" Yuuri growled.

"Your plan sent him into labor early!" Wolfram yelled before running off to his brother's bedside.

"I can't win…" Yuuri looked heavenward and contemplated what he had heard of the conversation. "Things are definitely going to change."

**Sorry it is taking me so long to get these chapters out but I think it is coming along nicely. Also review and let me know if you think the baby is going to be a boy or a girl, possible name suggestions. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry for the lateness of this chapter. I have had it moving around my head and it was just a matter of putting it down. This seemed to be a fitting ending to the story.**

Gunter was sure that being buried alive while Gwendal was in labor was a good thing. If nothing else it proved that Gwendal was still thinking of him. In fact it gave Gunter hope for the future if only because he was being spared from having to watch Gwendal go through all the pain of child birth. Though Gunther would have enjoyed the ability to be able to see what the baby would look like, his anxiety over the baby's soul non-withstanding.

As the screams from above him got louder Gunther just breathed deeply and tried to get comfortable. He found himself talking out loud and telling Gwendal everything he wanted to say.

"I have been in love before but I think you are my soul mate not just my lover. I know that you probably won't believe me. After everything that has gone on between us I am surprised that you haven't given me grief about it. You see me. Nothing could change that."

As he started to rise out of the ground, Gunter got a sense of everything going quieter and more peaceful. Finally a lone cry ripped through the air and Gunter turned to see Gwendal staring transfixed at a softly crying bundle in his arms.

Sitting up, Gunter crawled over to Gwendal's bedside. All the world faded away but the carefully swaddled bundle in Gwendal's arms.

From the doorway, Wolfram sniffed lightly at how cute the picture was in front of him. Yuuri snuggled up behind him happily, slightly envious.

"They look like their own little family." Yuuri whispered in Wolfram's ear.

"Yes they do." Wolfram responded wistfully.

"What would you say if we went and practiced for our own family?" Yuuri smiled into Wolfram's neck as he contemplated the image of Wolfram pregnant with his child.

"I don't think we have to try very hard." Wolfram smiled privately to himself before squeezing Yuuri's hands and leading him away.

"Wow if Gwendal buried Gunter alive when he went into labor what do you think Wolfram will do to Yuuri?" Shori mused.

"Set him on fire more than likely. I think it would be a good idea if when that happens we just put Yuuri in a flame retardant suit and resign him to losing the fine hairs on his body." Murata smirked leaning against the doorway.

"So not to break up the happy family moment but is the baby a girl, boy or a happy medium?" Shori called as he walked in the delivery room.

"He is perfect, absolutely beautiful." Gwendal responded in awe of the perfect ten pound bundle in his arms. White hair and deep gray eyes looked up at Gwendal with an almost unearthly watchfulness.

"What are we going to call you?" Gunter mused. "I mean we talked about many different names but we never actually decided on anything definite. There are a lot of family names we can choose from."

"Hisao?" Shori queried and found himself buried up to his neck in the ground quite suddenly.

"You do realize that the floor is going to have to be redone." Murata chuckled not in the least bit phased by Shori's incarceration.

"Hormones." Gwendal deadpanned. "If anyone complains just say my hormones got the better of me during labor."

"We could always say that you were in the nesting stages of pregnancy and didn't like the tile?" Shori remarked helpfully beginning to pull himself out of the ground only to be dragged back down for his comment.

**Epilogue:**

"You CHEATER!" Wolfram bellowed as he wallowed down the hallway all exposed flames flared up in his irritation.

"Some things never change." Murata sighed. Stepping smoothly out of the fountain and accepting the towel from a waiting servant.

"Isn't that the truth." Yuuri mumbled from behind a nearby shrub that quickly went up in flames.

"You!" Wolfram pointed threateningly at Yuuri, his eyes practically ablaze with his fury.

"Wolfram my fiery husband you look particularly edible today." Yuuri spoke quietly and pulled a bouquet of flowers out from behind his back. "For you."

When Wolfram sniffed and marched away, Yuuri let out a small sigh of relief.

Turning to Murata he raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were going to stay on Earth for a while…"

"Time runs differently there remember." Murata started walking and Yuuri fell into step with him.

"Yes I do but I also remember Shori saying that he would be damned if you jumped worlds by yourself again." Yuuri gave his friend a searching look.

"All you seem to do is get in trouble when you change worlds by yourself." Gwendal rumbled as he strolled down the hallway towards them.

"Well look who can fit back into his old military uniform." Murata deflected the attention but neither Gwendal nor Yuuri was ready to let it drop.

"Did you two fight or something?" Yuuri asked his dark eyes searching Murata's.

"No he is being stubborn." Shori shouted as his feet squished on the tile. His aura was dark and seemed to cause the air to shimmer darkly.

"Murata whatever you did apologize right now." Yuuri murmured backing up slowly. He was well aware what his brother was capable of when angry.

"I don't want to get married." Murata mumbled.

"That is non negotiable." Shori growled.

"I am not having children." Murata growled.

"There are surrogates for that." Shori waved off Murata's concern. "Anything else?"

"I want my own room where you can't go." Murata wheedled.

"Provided you don't use it to hide from me." Walking slowly towards Murata, Shori cradled Murata's face in his hands. "Let's just live and see what happens."

"Then why do we have to get married?" Murata grumbled before he found himself looking into Shori's eyes.

"Because I am dying to live with you as my husband and not just my lover." Shori smiled, "Besides your ass is mine."

Smacking Shori, Murata shook his head, "Idiot." Turning his attention to Gwendal he couldn't help smiling, "Where is the baby?"

"Brock is currently with Gunther." Gwendal smiled faintly. Before Gwendal could continue the ground shook and rumbled. Frowning deeply Gwendal turned around and bellowed, "Gunter will you stop irritating our son!"

Shori, Murata and Yuuri's collective jaws dropped.

"Your son causes earthquakes?" Murata looked at Gwendal with open curiosity in his expression.

"Gwendal you actually bellowed." Yuuri was a bit pole axed by the fact that Gwendal had ever had to raise his voice for someone to hear him.

Shori was sure about one thing.

"Gwendal you are like family but your kid is NOT allowed to visit."

The End.


End file.
